An Assessment of the Effectiveness of Terry Henry and the Department of College and Career Readiness at the Minneapolis Public Schools

Terry Henry is Director of the Department of College and Career Readiness (CCR) at the Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS), receiving an annual salary of exactly $100,000.  Mr. Henry leads a staff of at least fifteen people (my information is that CCR has added as many as three staff members since I compiled the following list).  Salaries allotted to personnel in this department total well over $900,000 and may now extend past $1,000,000.

Composition of Staff of the MPS Department of College and Career Readiness is as follows:

From the Department of College and Career Readiness

Department of Career and College Readiness

 Position

 

1.  Terry Henry                                 Executive Director 

 

2.  Colleen Kaibel                             Student Retention and

                                                                 Recovery Director

3.  Heidi Olson                                  WWYB Associate Educator             

 

4.  James (Jim) Bierma                    District Q-Comp Counselor

 

5.  Jennifer Ennen                            Office Specialist

 

6.  Jenni Yang                                    Gear Up Program Manager

 

7.  Jodi Danielson                             District My Life Plan Counselor

 

8.  Kelsey Clark                                  District Middle School/ High School
                                                                                                         Counselor

 

9.  Jill Bjorklund                                 STEM/ CTE Project Coordinator

 

10.  Michael (Mike) Ash                  Account Specialist                          

 

11.  Paul Klynn                                  Career Development Coordinator

 

12.  Quyen Phan                               ALC 9-12 Manager                           

 

13.  Sara Etzel                                   Director, CTE/ STEM

 

14.  Tamala Washington-Green    Office Manager                        

 

15.  Vanessa Moe                            JAG  Coordinator

 

The Department of College and Career Readiness is the namesake entity manifesting the current MPS slogan, "every student college and career ready."  During the tenure (2010-2015) of MPS Superintendent Bernadeia Johnson, this verbal banner replaced the comparable verbiage, "Expect Great Things!") launched during the leadership phase (1997-2003) of Superintendent Carol Johnson.  Presumably, when no great things materialized to meet those forlorn expectations, leaders at MPS decided to shift to a more earthbound slogan.


But students of the Minneapolis Public Schools are no more "college and career ready" than they were ever able realistically able to "expect great things."  Only about 62% of students Minneapolis Public Schools graduate in four years;  for African American, Hispanic, and American Indian students, the four-year graduation rate is less than 40 percent.  Districtwide, fewer than 47% of students are achieving at grade level in mathematics and reading; and fewer than 27% of African American, Hispanic, and American Indian students demonstrate grade level performance in those key skill areas.  And aside from this vital matter of fundamental skill deficits, curriculum is so knowledge-poor that no MPS student goes forth into the world with high prospects of living as a culturally enriched, civically prepared, or professionally satisfied citizen.


This situation implies strongly that for whatever piecemeal good the Department of Career and College Readiness does, this assemblage of central office functionaries at the Davis Center (1250 West Broadway in North Minneapolis) is not delivering on the central promise of MPS leaders and sloganeers.


Here is how those at the MPS Department of College and Career Readiness introduce their mission at the CCR portal of the MPS website:     

Every child college and career ready

• Minnesota and MPS define career and college readiness as high school graduates having the “knowledge, skills, and competencies to successfully pursue a career pathway, including postsecondary credit leading to a degree, diploma, certificate, or industry-recognized credential and employment”.
• MPS CCR believes “Growing the Family” increases career/vocational awareness as an urgent factor for our inner-city households, growing industry connections for all MPS families to meet 21^st Century workforce needs, intentional focus towards middle-high wage employment, and providing innovative measures to mandate character development within our engagement process (quality customer service, culturally relevant programming, social-emotional development, grit/persistence, etc). 

What we do

CCR is a team of specialized professionals who provide leadership, structures, programming, and support to students, families, schools, and district leadership to educate and empower students with the skills and knowledge to succeed in college and careers. We are fierce advocates for career and college readiness across the district. 

Students who graduate high school career and college ready will possess the knowledge, skills and behaviors to successfully complete workforce training, certificate programs or entry-level credit-bearing college courses. More specifically the student will possess:

• Academic readiness – mastery of core foundational knowledge and the cognitive skills necessary to do post-secondary work 
• 
  
• College knowledge – the skills to navigate the systems necessary to enroll and succeed  in post-secondary education
• Career awareness – knowledge of career pathways and opportunities, and the relationship between education, training and career goals
• Personal and social readiness – individual determination and perseverance to thrive and learn in a post-secondary environment
• Intercultural competence – the ability to learn, work and communicate in a multi-cultural world 

Minneapolis Public Schools will assist students in becoming career and college ready through:

• Academic readiness - providing access to and support for coursework that is challenging to each student and that provides the content knowledge and cognitive skills necessary to do post-secondary work and promoting understanding of content at deeper levels through integration of interdisciplinary topics. MPS keeps a focus on critical thinking and out of the box idea generation and collaboration.
• College knowledge - teaching students the skills to navigate the systems necessary to enroll and succeed in post-secondary education or training 
• Career awareness - exposing students to a variety of career pathways and economic opportunities with updated job trends in mind, demonstrating the relationship between education, training and careers, and helping students to develop a plan to access those opportunities 
• Personal and social readiness  - helping students to develop the behaviors needed for future success, such as individual determination, perseverance, strong study skills, time management, setting goals, seeking help when needed, and the ability to work collaboratively with others 
• Intercultural competence - fostering a climate of cross-cultural understanding, respect, appreciation, communication and engagement

CCR aligns with the MPS Acceleration 2020 strategic plan through the following programs and initiatives:

• Core Academic Content - Multiple Pathways to Graduation, MC3 (Multidisciplinary Apprenticeship/Trade Programming), GEAR UP - Tutoring, Early Warning Monitoring System 8th/9th Grade, School Counseling
• Life and Career Skills - GEAR UP - Community Impact, Check & Connect Services, My Life Plan, Work Based Learning, College Readiness Centers
• Learning and Innovation - Extended Learning, Academic Enrichment and Support, Alternative Education Redesign, Personalized Learning, CTE/STEM
• Key Learning Techniques for Successful Transitions - 8th to 9th Grade Transition, College Entrance Preparation, Social/Emotional Development and Support, CCR Mentoring Programs

Minneapolis Public Schools is committed to providing all students with the academic preparation, habits of work and mind, personal awareness and intercultural competencies needed to be successful after high school. That success includes opportunities to pursue post-secondary education and lifelong learning, sustainable and meaningful careers, and active participation in the local and global community.

 

                                .......................................................................................


 

Scour the above jargon-laden account and the careful reader will find little of substance that applies to the entire 35,717 students of the Minneapolis Public Schools, so that any pretension to ensure that all MPS students are "college and career ready" exists only as rhetorical obfuscation.


This propensity for vague verbiage applies also to the description given for the key programs of the MPS Department of College and Career Readiness:  AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination), Check & Connect, GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs), JAG (Jobs for Graduates), WWYB (We Want You Back), and PLTW (Project Lead the Way).

Here is how the MPS Department of College and Career Readiness presents and describes the AVID program:

What is AVID?

 AVID is a program to prepare students for successful completion of a four year college degree.

It is offered as an  elective class teaching critical thinking and writing skills.

Two days a week students focus on accelerated curriculum, two days tutors works with students in small groups, and the fifth day is flexible for: guest speakers, field trips, research, projects and test preparation. 

All AVID students are required to co-enroll in rigorous classes such as:

• International Baccalaureate
• Advanced Placement
• College in the Schools
• Honors classes

Why choose AVID as an elective class?

60 Minutes  featured AVID as a program successfully closing the achievement gap in urban school districts.

AVID started almost 30 years ago in California and has decades of independent research by colleges and universities validating the success of the program. Research results are available on their website www.avidonline.org/research

AVID serves almost 300,000 students nation-wide in 42 states.  Both California and Texas fund AVID at the state level.

All AVID students are required to take AP - Advanced Placement classes in high school by their junior year.  The best predictor of completing college based on many research studies, is the number of  AP classes taken in high school and successfully completion of the AP exam. This is a better predictor of  college success than: GPA, class rank, or ACT/SAT scores.

Where do I go for more information?

maria.roberts@mpls.k12.mn.us


And for Check & Connect, the description goes as follows:


Check & Connect

is a program developed to re-engage students in their education.

Through long-term sustained support, Check & Connect seeks to build a relationship with each student that will serve to connect them with their school and aid in their progress towards graduation.
Weekly conversations, tutoring and homework help form the basis for a trusted bond between the student and the Check & Connect monitor. This enables the monitor to individually and definitively determine the interventions best suited to the students’ needs. The monitor then works on behalf of the student as a mentor, tutor, problem-solver, listener and case advocate.

KEY FEATURES

• Preventative-focuses on high school drop-out risk factors that can be altered through intervention.
• Builds capacity-instructs and encourages students in the acquisition of new skills.
• Efficient-coordinates student access to established resources within the school, at home and in the community.

 

• Outreach-structured to create long-term and trusted relationships
• Individualized-uniquely focuses on the individual needs of students.
• Adaptable-designed to incorporate the goals and strengths of the school and the local community.

CHECK & CONNECT IS ABOUT...

• Building a relationship with each student.
• Implementing interventions to keep students involved in their education.
• Monitoring grades, credits and attendance regularly.
• Offering academic support including tutoring after school.
• Facilitating collaboration between the school, home and community services to ensure educational success.

For GEAR UP, the presentation goes as follows:

GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) is a nation-wide, federally funded grant initiative offered through the U.S. Department of Education. Minneapolis Public Schools was awarded a seven year, $14 million dollar grant beginning in January 2015. GEAR UP will serve 2,560 students in 17 of the school district’s middle and secondary schools. The project begins with current sixth- and seventh-grade students, following sixth-graders through their senior year of high school and seventh-graders through their first year of college.

The grant will focus on five key objectives:

• Increase GEAR UP students’ academic performance and preparation for postsecondary education
• Increase GEAR UP students’ rate of high school graduation and postsecondary enrollment
• Increase GEAR UP students’ and families’ knowledge of postsecondary education options, preparation and financing
• Increase percentage of GEAR UP students who enroll and succeed in postsecondary education
• Increase the preparation of teachers and staff to teach and serve GEAR UP students

Services that will be supported by the grant include:

• Increased academic monitoring of students’ progress through new IT systems and databases, including tracking of ninth-grade credit readiness indicators to ensure students are prepared for high school

 

• Increased school counseling, particularly for middle school students
• Additional summer school programming with a specific emphasis on exposure to postsecondary options
• New programming to support students making transitions into high school or changing schools
• Financial planning and college readiness workshops
• First-year programming to support students in their first year of post-secondary education

For the JAG program, the summary goes as follows:


Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG)

is a national program dedicated to preventing student dropout and focusing on pathways to career, life, and college readiness among young people who face significant barriers to academic and career success. 

• Over a three decade span, Jobs for America’s Graduates has delivered consistent, results – helping nearly three-quarters of a million students remain in school through graduation, pursue post-secondary education opportunities, and secure quality entry-level jobs leading to career advancement opportunities.
   

MPS students in grades 11 through 12 are served in the Multi-Year Program Application. The focus in the Multi-Year Program is college/career readiness and work-based mentoring. Therefore, providing proactive career driven support from 11th grade through graduation is our primary objective.  JAG Specialist will provide instruction during the “in-school” phase as well as follow-up support services after graduation. 

 

JAG Specialists are held directly accountable for the 30 to 45 young people in his/her charge. It is the combination of these equally important components, in-school instruction and post-graduation support services, and the consistent results that distinguishes MPS JAG from other school-to-work models.  JAG Specialists focus on the 37 core competency-based modules of the National In-School Curriculum, which provides 370 hours of classroom instruction.

 

We Want You Back (WWYB) supports students who did not receive, or are at risk of not receiving their high school diploma. Our team regularly reaches out to students who left a Minneapolis Public School without graduating and invites them to come back. We also work closely with school support staff to make sure that returned students stay on track for graduation. 

 

For students ages 11-21 living in Minneapolis who are not enrolled in school, We Want You Back will: 

• Help you to understand your educational options based on your earned credits
• Guide you through the re-enrollment process
• Continue to provide support until you graduate using the Check & Connect model
• Connect you with other support services within Minneapolis Public Schools and Hennepin County

And WWYB is described thusly:


For students in grade 12, under age 21, and within 3 credits of graduating, We Want You Back will: 

• Provide alternative pathways to graduation that fit your schedule and will help you accomplish your goals
• Regularly check in and provide support using the Check & Connect model until you earn your diploma

For students over age 21, We Want You Back will: 

• Connect you with Adult Education programs (GED and Adult Diploma) in and around Minneapolis

For students missing one or more GRAD or MBST Tests, We Want You Back will: 

• Give the Accuplacer Reading, Writing, and/or Math exams. 

For students under 19 interested in taking the GED, We Want You Back will: 

• Look through your credits to determine if the GED is a good option for you
• Help you to fill out an Age Waiver form to take the exam

If you or someone you know is considering returning to MPS to complete your high school diploma, please call We Want You Back and one of our staff can help you get started. (612) 668-1200.

Project Lead the Way (PLTW) is an offering of the Department of Career and Technical Education (CTE), which includes Director Sara Etzel, STEM & CTE Project Coordinators Jill Bjorklund and Nancy Mai, and Career Development Coordinator Paul Klym.  The CTE Department is associated with the Department of College and Career Readiness led by Terry Henry.  The PLTW program is a grant-funded program that supports science and engineering preparation at Sanford Middle School;  computer science training at North High School, Southwest High School, and Transitions Plus (an alternative high school);  and preparation for college and university level study in engineering at Patrick Henry High School, South High School, and Washburn High School.


.............................................................


Thus does the Department of Career and College Readiness and the associated Department of Career and Technical Education at the Minneapolis Public Schools offer a number of programs, described in verbiage intended to resonate impressively.


But the programs are not well-articulated, cohesive, or comprehensive.  They serve just a tiny fraction of MPS students.  And the effectiveness of these programs is not well-substantiated.


The AVID program in particular is overrated as a college preparatory endeavor.  Many of my students in the New Salem Educational Initiative have been AVID participants.  The program is not academically engaging on a day-by-day basis and provides inadequate preparation for the ACT college readiness exam.  What strengths there are in the program lie in assistance with the college and university application process and occasional visits to college and university campuses.  But even in these areas, my observation is that students do learn how to fill out application forms and meet application deadlines, but they are not well-informed as to the programmatic strengths and weaknesses of individual colleges and universities;  and very little is done to ready first generation students for the reality of campus academic life or social climate.


The verdict on the Check & Connect, GEAR UP, JAG, and WWYB programs is very much still out.  Data are slim.  Hard numbers pertinent to students served are only offered in the case of GEAR UP, for which the claim is that as of January 2015 2,560 students in 17 MPS schools would be served;  even if this figure is proving correct, that would be just seven percent (7%) of all MPS students.


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Terry Henry earns $100,000 and leads a department the salary outlays for which are about $1,000,000.  The Department of College and Career Readiness attracts a great deal of grant money for programs that come with grand but unsubstantiated claims.

To justify his continued employment at the Minneapolis Schools, and existence of a department that by appellation bears the mission of MPS to send forth "every student college and career ready,"
Mr. Henry has much work to do. 

He must connect better with Chief of Schools Michael Thomas, Chief Academic Officer Susanne Griffin, Teaching and Learning Director Macarre Traynham, Focused Instruction point person Tina Platt, and the six associate superintendents---   so doing in the prime mission of the locally centralized school district to impart a knowledge-intensive education to all students, sending these precious specimens of humanity forth with highly favorable prospects as culturally enriched, civically prepared, and professionally satisfied citizens.

Terry Henry and staff have much work to do, indeed.   They are not even close to providing the education of excellence, according to the purposes of K-12 education, summarized in the foregoing paragraph and detailed in many places on this blog.

Terry Henry and the staff at the Department of College and Career Readiness at the Minneapolis Public Schools should be evaluated accordingly.

The justification for their occupancy of the given staff positions and even the case for the positions themselves are very much in doubt.  

Welcome to the

Career & Technical Education (CTE) Department!

Sara Etzel                            Director of CTE/ STEM

Jill Bjorklund                     STEM & CTE Project Coordinator

Nancy Mai                           STEM & CTE Project Coordinator

Paul Klym                            Career Development Coordinator

The Career & Technical Education program provides context to core academics through integrated, applied and experiential learning with a broad exposure to career fields and a balanced high school experience. This program is one of the four core rigorous programs (AP, IB, CIS, and CTE) offered by Minneapolis Public Schools to support student achievement, reduce dropout rates, and prepare more students to become college and career ready.

Students participating in Career and Technical Education courses experience both rigorous academic and career preparation in state approved courses staffed by appropriately licensed staff. All students will graduate well prepared for postsecondary education, work, and citizenship. In addition, they will be connected with a variety of career opportunities through career exploration activities, job shadows, and internships.

Please view the Google Slides below to learn more about the Career and Technical Education courses offered in MPS High Schools.